Critics Accuse Administration of Exploiting Israel Dispute, Aiding "Enemies"
The Obama administration is drawing fierce criticism from both sides of the aisle for appearing to take dead aim at U.S. policy toward Israel by exploiting a dispute that began as a mere bureaucratic blunder. "These matters need to be thought through before public pronouncements can significantly damage the U.S.-Israeli relationship and give aid and comfort to the enemies of the Mideast peace process," Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) said Tuesday. (FOX News)
See also More Congressional Reaction - Uriel Heilman
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.): "While it condemns Israel, the Administration continues to ignore a host of Palestinian provocations that undermine prospects for peace in the region." Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.): "Our nation's security cannot afford a foreign policy which isolates our allies." (JTA)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
in Illinois? call
Israel needs us right now to speak to our elected representatives and tell them that they need to speak up immediately to defend the Israel-US relationship. We must let them know that we love Israel, and that America is committed to our best and most reliable ally in the Middle East – no matter what our differences might be. We must not allow the lies they are spreading about Israel's right to build in east Jerusalem, on Israel's willingness to make peace and the Arab/Muslim hostility to peace with Israel to continue.
I would suggest to ask them to send a personal letter to President Obama and to allow that letter to be released to the press – that is what we expect from our elected officials.
Please call today. If we tie up the lines, that's OK too!
For contact information for other Senators and Representatives go to
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
Jan Schakowsky (D-9)
website: http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/
Email
Other E-Mail: jan.schakowsky@mail.house.gov
Phone
Work: 773 506 7100
Work: 847 328 3409
Washington office:202 225 2111
Work Address: 5533 N. Broadway, #2, 60640,
820 Davis, #105, Evan 60201
2367 Rayburn HOB, Wash 20515
202 225 2111
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Durbin, Richard J. - (D - IL) I
309 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
I would suggest to ask them to send a personal letter to President Obama and to allow that letter to be released to the press – that is what we expect from our elected officials.
Please call today. If we tie up the lines, that's OK too!
For contact information for other Senators and Representatives go to
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
Jan Schakowsky (D-9)
website: http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/
Other E-Mail: jan.schakowsky@mail.house.gov
Phone
Work: 773 506 7100
Work: 847 328 3409
Washington office:202 225 2111
Work Address: 5533 N. Broadway, #2, 60640,
820 Davis, #105, Evan 60201
2367 Rayburn HOB, Wash 20515
202 225 2111
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Durbin, Richard J. - (D - IL) I
309 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
More anti Obama for attacking Israel
Obama Isolated
Jennifer Rubin - 03.16.2010 - 2:39 PM
More and more Democrats are stepping forward to slap down the Obami. Among the more terse was from Rep. Anthony Weiner: “The appropriate response was a shake of the head — not a temper tantrum. Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag. Enough already.” Among the more eloquent was Rep. Eliot Engel from the House floor:
We should not have a disproportionate response to Israel. We need to be careful and measured in our response, and I think we all have to take a step back.
The relationship remains rock solid. The Obama administration and the administration of Prime Minister Netanyahu have been cooperating on a number of things: containing Iran, the Goldstone Report, and making sure that Israel retains its qualitative military edge in the region. And there has been good cooperation between our two administrations, the Obama administration and the Netanyahu administration. But to seem to question the very nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship and to put it in personal terms in a very public way will not contribute to peace in the Middle East. Rather, it’s the contrary. It will cause the Palestinians to dig in their heels, thinking that the Americans can just deliver the Israelis.
Last year, when there was public pressure being put on Israel not to expand settlements, there was no simultaneous public pressure being put on the Palestinians, and we saw that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas just sat back, didn’t make any concessions, didn’t say that he would do anything positively to further peace talks, and just thought that the United States would wring concessions out of Israel.
The fact of the matter is that the Israelis have been welcoming peace talks with the Palestinians. The Israelis have said they would sit down and have face-to-face talks for peace with the Palestinians. That’s what you do when you have peace. Instead, the Palestinians have refused to sit with the Israelis, and Senator Mitchell is proposing to shuttle back and forth between the Palestinian side and the Israeli side to have negotiations, but not direct negotiations.
We need to be careful. If we criticize Israel for doing what we think was wrong, then we need to also criticize the Palestinians when they do things wrong. Just recently, the Palestinians named a square in Ramallah for a terrorist who killed 30-some-odd Israelis. I didn’t hear any criticism of the Palestinian side. When the Palestinians dig in their heels and say they won’t recognize Israel as a Jewish state, I didn’t hear any criticism of Palestinians.
Let me say that harsh words are never a replacement for working together, but I think that harsh words can sometimes make us understand that only by working together can we confront the things that we both know need to be confronted–the scourge of terrorism, the thing that all nations understand emanates in the Middle East from radical forces, and those are the kinds of fights that Israel has every single day fighting terrorism. We learned about terrorism on this soil on 9/11. Israel has to deal with it every day.
So all I am saying, Madam Speaker, is that we need to not only reaffirm the strength of our ties between our two countries, but we also need to understand that in a relationship between friends, as in family, there will be some disagreements. We need to be careful about how we voice those disagreements in public.
Let’s put it another way: not a single Republican or Democratic official has come forward to defend the administration. J Street cheers them on, as one can imagine from the never-enough-venom-directed-to-Israel lobby. The National Jewish Democratic Council is hiding under the bed. But actual elected leaders? Not one of them. On this the administration is totally isolated.
del.icio.us
There Are a Lot of Angry Evangelicals
Jennifer Rubin - 03.16.2010 - 2:06 PM
Christians United for Israel has swung into action; an alert went out to its very large mailing list (which includes pastors who in turn contact their church members). Spokesman Ari Morgenstern tells me: “The strong response of the Christian Zionist community on this issue reflects their steadfast commitment to standing with Israel. Christian friends of Israel are capable of distinguishing between temporary disputes between friends, and the deeper ties that bind our two countries.” What kind of response did they get? “Just 90 minutes after CUFI’s action alert was distributed, more than 5,000 of our members sent e-mails to the White House asking the president to ‘end this unnecessary crisis, return to a more productive approach, and stand with our ally Israel.’ As of last count we are averaging an e-mail every second, and I see no indication that this will slow down anytime soon.”
Many liberal, largely secular American Jews have been wary of, if not downright hostile to, evangelical support for Israel. Perhaps they should reconsider and figure out who the friends of Israel really are. They’re the ones sending, not receiving the e-mails
A 2012 Preview
Jennifer Rubin - 03.16.2010 - 2:02 PM
Obama’s assault on Israel is drawing fire from potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates. Sarah Palin (who, as I’ve written quite a bit about, had a rocky start with American Jews) is out with a lengthly statement, pointing out the contrast between Obama’s outreach to despotic regimes and our treatment of Israel, which reads, in part:
Last October, Secretary of State Clinton recognized Israel’s desire for peace in the Middle East and praised Israel’s “unprecedented” concessions for agreeing to halt settlement construction in the West Bank, a concession that did NOT include halting construction of apartments for Jews in Jerusalem. Even last week after planned construction was announced, Vice President Biden still expressed “appreciation” for the “significant” steps taken by the Israeli government to address this minor issue. Now, however, we see the Obama Administration has decided to escalate, make unilateral demands of Israel, and threaten the very foundation of the US-Israel relationship. This is quickly leading to the worst crisis in US-Israel relations in decades, and yet this did not have to happen. More importantly, it needs to stop before it spirals out of control. Vice President Biden should rein in the overheated Obama Administration rhetoric and chill the political spin masters’ fire as they visit the Sunday media shows to criticize Israel.
Mitt Romney’s spokesman e-mails me: “Governor Romney believes that President Obama spends way too much time placating our enemies while undermining our friends. Israel is one of our greatest allies, and has made many concessions for peace over the years, yet the Obama administration exerts pressure on Israel to stop its settlements while putting almost no pressure on the Palestinians.”
It is, as the two Republicans point out, all of a piece. The Obami have, as Palin puts it, reached out “to some of the world’s worst regimes in the name of their engagement policy,” and averted their eyes to violations of UN agreements and to gross human-rights abuses. It took days for Obama to speak out in the wake of the June 12 Iranian election, and even then only in tepid terms. Yet, with the announcement of a housing complex in Jerusalem, all guns are blazing from the West Wing. We can expect to hear more from those Republicans eyeing 2012 on this subject. It is frankly both good policy and good politics to take on the Obama foreign-policy trainwreck.
del.icio.us
Re Re: Obama and Israel: Not Smart
John Podhoretz - 03.16.2010 - 1:45 PM
A plugged-in friend emails:
I think the Obama administration’s blow-up wasn’t about the “insult” at all. That was just a convenient excuse. The issue is that Obama has zero to show for his first year in office in the foreign policy realm. His one arguable success is the proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (even if I’d call it a self-inflicted failure created by his outrageous public scolding of Israel in May 2009 on a total settlement freeze that limited PA chief Mahmoud Abbas’ ability to maneuver). The Palestinians are constantly — and tactically — looking for any excuse to walk away from negotiations to cause Israel to better its offer. When the housing announcement was made during the Biden visit last week, the Arab League jumped all over the State Department and the Obama people saw the entire Mitchell “proximity talks” project as being at risk. The wild overreaction was a deliberate effort to shock the Israelis to make more concessions, of course, but more so to impress upon the Arab League that it should not withdraw its support for the proximity talks. A tactically foolish approach, as it will hurt, not help, forward movement on the talks — which will go nowhere soon anyway. But not just a fit of pique
Jennifer Rubin - 03.16.2010 - 2:39 PM
More and more Democrats are stepping forward to slap down the Obami. Among the more terse was from Rep. Anthony Weiner: “The appropriate response was a shake of the head — not a temper tantrum. Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag. Enough already.” Among the more eloquent was Rep. Eliot Engel from the House floor:
We should not have a disproportionate response to Israel. We need to be careful and measured in our response, and I think we all have to take a step back.
The relationship remains rock solid. The Obama administration and the administration of Prime Minister Netanyahu have been cooperating on a number of things: containing Iran, the Goldstone Report, and making sure that Israel retains its qualitative military edge in the region. And there has been good cooperation between our two administrations, the Obama administration and the Netanyahu administration. But to seem to question the very nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship and to put it in personal terms in a very public way will not contribute to peace in the Middle East. Rather, it’s the contrary. It will cause the Palestinians to dig in their heels, thinking that the Americans can just deliver the Israelis.
Last year, when there was public pressure being put on Israel not to expand settlements, there was no simultaneous public pressure being put on the Palestinians, and we saw that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas just sat back, didn’t make any concessions, didn’t say that he would do anything positively to further peace talks, and just thought that the United States would wring concessions out of Israel.
The fact of the matter is that the Israelis have been welcoming peace talks with the Palestinians. The Israelis have said they would sit down and have face-to-face talks for peace with the Palestinians. That’s what you do when you have peace. Instead, the Palestinians have refused to sit with the Israelis, and Senator Mitchell is proposing to shuttle back and forth between the Palestinian side and the Israeli side to have negotiations, but not direct negotiations.
We need to be careful. If we criticize Israel for doing what we think was wrong, then we need to also criticize the Palestinians when they do things wrong. Just recently, the Palestinians named a square in Ramallah for a terrorist who killed 30-some-odd Israelis. I didn’t hear any criticism of the Palestinian side. When the Palestinians dig in their heels and say they won’t recognize Israel as a Jewish state, I didn’t hear any criticism of Palestinians.
Let me say that harsh words are never a replacement for working together, but I think that harsh words can sometimes make us understand that only by working together can we confront the things that we both know need to be confronted–the scourge of terrorism, the thing that all nations understand emanates in the Middle East from radical forces, and those are the kinds of fights that Israel has every single day fighting terrorism. We learned about terrorism on this soil on 9/11. Israel has to deal with it every day.
So all I am saying, Madam Speaker, is that we need to not only reaffirm the strength of our ties between our two countries, but we also need to understand that in a relationship between friends, as in family, there will be some disagreements. We need to be careful about how we voice those disagreements in public.
Let’s put it another way: not a single Republican or Democratic official has come forward to defend the administration. J Street cheers them on, as one can imagine from the never-enough-venom-directed-to-Israel lobby. The National Jewish Democratic Council is hiding under the bed. But actual elected leaders? Not one of them. On this the administration is totally isolated.
del.icio.us
There Are a Lot of Angry Evangelicals
Jennifer Rubin - 03.16.2010 - 2:06 PM
Christians United for Israel has swung into action; an alert went out to its very large mailing list (which includes pastors who in turn contact their church members). Spokesman Ari Morgenstern tells me: “The strong response of the Christian Zionist community on this issue reflects their steadfast commitment to standing with Israel. Christian friends of Israel are capable of distinguishing between temporary disputes between friends, and the deeper ties that bind our two countries.” What kind of response did they get? “Just 90 minutes after CUFI’s action alert was distributed, more than 5,000 of our members sent e-mails to the White House asking the president to ‘end this unnecessary crisis, return to a more productive approach, and stand with our ally Israel.’ As of last count we are averaging an e-mail every second, and I see no indication that this will slow down anytime soon.”
Many liberal, largely secular American Jews have been wary of, if not downright hostile to, evangelical support for Israel. Perhaps they should reconsider and figure out who the friends of Israel really are. They’re the ones sending, not receiving the e-mails
A 2012 Preview
Jennifer Rubin - 03.16.2010 - 2:02 PM
Obama’s assault on Israel is drawing fire from potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates. Sarah Palin (who, as I’ve written quite a bit about, had a rocky start with American Jews) is out with a lengthly statement, pointing out the contrast between Obama’s outreach to despotic regimes and our treatment of Israel, which reads, in part:
Last October, Secretary of State Clinton recognized Israel’s desire for peace in the Middle East and praised Israel’s “unprecedented” concessions for agreeing to halt settlement construction in the West Bank, a concession that did NOT include halting construction of apartments for Jews in Jerusalem. Even last week after planned construction was announced, Vice President Biden still expressed “appreciation” for the “significant” steps taken by the Israeli government to address this minor issue. Now, however, we see the Obama Administration has decided to escalate, make unilateral demands of Israel, and threaten the very foundation of the US-Israel relationship. This is quickly leading to the worst crisis in US-Israel relations in decades, and yet this did not have to happen. More importantly, it needs to stop before it spirals out of control. Vice President Biden should rein in the overheated Obama Administration rhetoric and chill the political spin masters’ fire as they visit the Sunday media shows to criticize Israel.
Mitt Romney’s spokesman e-mails me: “Governor Romney believes that President Obama spends way too much time placating our enemies while undermining our friends. Israel is one of our greatest allies, and has made many concessions for peace over the years, yet the Obama administration exerts pressure on Israel to stop its settlements while putting almost no pressure on the Palestinians.”
It is, as the two Republicans point out, all of a piece. The Obami have, as Palin puts it, reached out “to some of the world’s worst regimes in the name of their engagement policy,” and averted their eyes to violations of UN agreements and to gross human-rights abuses. It took days for Obama to speak out in the wake of the June 12 Iranian election, and even then only in tepid terms. Yet, with the announcement of a housing complex in Jerusalem, all guns are blazing from the West Wing. We can expect to hear more from those Republicans eyeing 2012 on this subject. It is frankly both good policy and good politics to take on the Obama foreign-policy trainwreck.
del.icio.us
Re Re: Obama and Israel: Not Smart
John Podhoretz - 03.16.2010 - 1:45 PM
A plugged-in friend emails:
I think the Obama administration’s blow-up wasn’t about the “insult” at all. That was just a convenient excuse. The issue is that Obama has zero to show for his first year in office in the foreign policy realm. His one arguable success is the proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (even if I’d call it a self-inflicted failure created by his outrageous public scolding of Israel in May 2009 on a total settlement freeze that limited PA chief Mahmoud Abbas’ ability to maneuver). The Palestinians are constantly — and tactically — looking for any excuse to walk away from negotiations to cause Israel to better its offer. When the housing announcement was made during the Biden visit last week, the Arab League jumped all over the State Department and the Obama people saw the entire Mitchell “proximity talks” project as being at risk. The wild overreaction was a deliberate effort to shock the Israelis to make more concessions, of course, but more so to impress upon the Arab League that it should not withdraw its support for the proximity talks. A tactically foolish approach, as it will hurt, not help, forward movement on the talks — which will go nowhere soon anyway. But not just a fit of pique
More on Rotem conversion bill
The Conversion Bill
This is an update, and a thank you.
As a result of the strong feelings expressed by so many, includin=
g
many of you, the bill in the Knesset which would have affected conversion
and the Law of Return has been sidetracked, at least for now.
Our Masorti/Conservative community, along with our colleagues in
the Reform movement, took the lead in identifying the problems, and then th=
e
Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee and
others weighed in very forcefully. Credit goes to all, though it is a pity
we even have to wage such battles.
MK Rotem has stated the bill will not be acted upon this week
before the Knesset recesses for several weeks. He also said that on any
issues involving conversion or the Law of Return, there would be
consultation with Diaspora Jewry.
While the most objectionable provisions of the proposed
legislation, which treat converts differently from those born as Jews, may
be dead, we still need to be alert to provisions that would further enhance
the power of the State Rabbinate. Our colleagues in Israel believe
this fight is very far from over.
This is an update, and a thank you.
As a result of the strong feelings expressed by so many, includin=
g
many of you, the bill in the Knesset which would have affected conversion
and the Law of Return has been sidetracked, at least for now.
Our Masorti/Conservative community, along with our colleagues in
the Reform movement, took the lead in identifying the problems, and then th=
e
Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee and
others weighed in very forcefully. Credit goes to all, though it is a pity
we even have to wage such battles.
MK Rotem has stated the bill will not be acted upon this week
before the Knesset recesses for several weeks. He also said that on any
issues involving conversion or the Law of Return, there would be
consultation with Diaspora Jewry.
While the most objectionable provisions of the proposed
legislation, which treat converts differently from those born as Jews, may
be dead, we still need to be alert to provisions that would further enhance
the power of the State Rabbinate. Our colleagues in Israel believe
this fight is very far from over.
Court Jews Emanuel and Axelrod
Next year in….´ An open letter to Rahm Emanuel & David Axelrod
David Wilder
March 15, 2010
Nisan 1, 5770, 3/15/2010
Dear Rahm and David,
I'm writing this as I sit and watch, via live internet, the ceremony marking the rededication of the Hurva synagogue in Jerusalem, in the area you would classify " east Jerusalem", disputed territory, or perhaps, ' occupied territory' over the 'green line' adjacent to ' Temple Mount.'
Before asking a few questions, I'd like to describe to you several men who took part in tonight's celebration.
First, there is Reuvan 'Ruby' Rivlin, presently speaker of the Knesset. A seventh generation Jerusalemite, Ruby is a 'Rivlin' from both his mother and father's side, descended from both Rebbi Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov and the Gra, the Gaon, Rebbi Eliyahu from Vilna.
Rivlin, a seasoned politician, had trouble controlling his voice as he
spoke, his words quivering with emotion, as he repeated the words of his great-grandfather, who spoke at the rededication of the destroyed Hurva shul a hundred and fifty years ago.
Also speaking briefly was former Prisoner of Zion, former minister, and present chairman of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky, who described how, in 1992, he convinced the entire Israeli government to unanimously approve reconstruction of the Hurva, destroyed by the Jordanians following their occupation of the Jerusalem in 1948.
But the man who most impressed me was David Rabinovitch, an Israeli Russian, who contributed heavily to the renovation of the Hurva. Rubenstein spoke briefly, albeit in Russian, and announced that he and his partners, whose financial fortunes built the Hurva, would participate in rebuilding the nearby Tiferet Yisrael synagogue, also destroyed by the Arabs during the War
of Independence. These men, who grew up without any Jewish background, and who today barely speak Hebrew, are investing their life's fortunes in synagogues, in Jerusalem.
And you, Rahm and David, what are you investing your lives in?
Rahm, it is said that you are the cornerstone of your boss' policy towards Israeland the Middle East. Since this administration took office, you are quoted, time and time again, as forcing a ' two-state solution' on Israel. "Israel now faces a moment of truth - it can either acquiesce to international demands and in return have its most serious threats dealt with, or maintain the status quo and have those threats persist." http://goo.gl/ntPh In other words, Israel's future, as a state, and in large part, the continued existence of the Jewish people, is dependent on Israel 'towing the line,' obeying US policy, and acquiescing to US-Arab terrorist demands.
And David, just a few days ago you publicly turned Israel over your knee and paddled her, saying, "What happened there was an affront,…It was an insult. ... This was not the right way to behave." http://goo.gl/fana This, of course, in reference to the announcement that Israel will continue to build in Jerusalem.
Is this the behavior of two good Jewish boys, who, it is said, love Israel?
Rahm, truthfully it's very difficult to understand your actions. You belong to an orthodox synagogue in Chicago. You grew up in a Jewish home, with a strong affinity to Israel. Your father was born in Jerusalem and your uncle, for whom you were named, was killed by Arabs in Jerusalem. But you still support a position forbidding Jewish building in Jerusalem!?
And David, you too are no stranger to Judaism. Born on the Lower East Side in New York, you always knew you were Jewish. Yet you see fit to push your own people into security situations which jeopardize the continued existence of the Jewish State.
How is it that two men whose lives have always been saturated with Judaism do not comprehend simple truths understood by others who grew up in Soviet Russia, knowing almost nothing about their Jewish roots.? Even your names reflect your Jewish souls: David - dating back to King David - the eternal
King of Israel; and Rahm - meaning 'high,' hinting at the Creator, and in your case, a form of the word Rachamim, meaning mercy. Upon who do you have mercy, Mr. Emanuel? Perhaps both of you should repudiate your names, changing them, as did Hellenistic Jews in Israel during the time of Greek occupation of Israel. How can you carry such " Jewish names' yet, at the same
time, assist in pushing your people to the brink?
I have one other question for both of you men. Tonight marks the first day of the new month of Nisan, the month of Geula, of redemption from Egypt. In exactly two weeks we will begin the Passover holiday, commencing with the Seder, the first Pesach meal, when we relate the story of the Jews' Exodus from Egypt.
It is said that last year, both of you were invited to the President's
Passover Seder, but skipped it, preferring to eat Matza with your families, at home. Very touching. But why?
What I really want to know is not how you begin your family Seder, rather, how you end it. Normally, Jews finish the night's ceremony declaring " Next year in Jerusalem" or Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem."
Rahm Emanual and David Axelrod:
DO YOU RECITE THESE WORDS AT YOUR FAMILY TABLE;
IF SO, DO YOU MEAN WHAT YOU SAY, OR JUST REPEAT THE WORDS FOR CUSTOM'S SAKE;
AND WOULD YOU DARE RECITE THESE WORDS IN PUBLIC, WORDS MOUTHED BY JEWS FOR CENTURIES, AS THEY WERE TORTURED AND BURNED AT THE STAKE, OR SENT TO SIBERIA TO DIE, FOR DARING TO REPEAT THE FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE?
EXACTLY HOW DO YOU SAY IT? NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM,
OR
NEXT YEAR IN [OCCUPIED?], [DISPUTED?], [CONQUERED?], [ARAB?] JERUSALEM?
Isn't it time you left the White House and came home to your real home, in Israel, in Jerusalem where you too can stand proudly at the Kotel and recite, as Jews have for eternity "Next year in [Jewish] Jerusalem".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Wilder
March 15, 2010
Nisan 1, 5770, 3/15/2010
Dear Rahm and David,
I'm writing this as I sit and watch, via live internet, the ceremony marking the rededication of the Hurva synagogue in Jerusalem, in the area you would classify " east Jerusalem", disputed territory, or perhaps, ' occupied territory' over the 'green line' adjacent to ' Temple Mount.'
Before asking a few questions, I'd like to describe to you several men who took part in tonight's celebration.
First, there is Reuvan 'Ruby' Rivlin, presently speaker of the Knesset. A seventh generation Jerusalemite, Ruby is a 'Rivlin' from both his mother and father's side, descended from both Rebbi Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov and the Gra, the Gaon, Rebbi Eliyahu from Vilna.
Rivlin, a seasoned politician, had trouble controlling his voice as he
spoke, his words quivering with emotion, as he repeated the words of his great-grandfather, who spoke at the rededication of the destroyed Hurva shul a hundred and fifty years ago.
Also speaking briefly was former Prisoner of Zion, former minister, and present chairman of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky, who described how, in 1992, he convinced the entire Israeli government to unanimously approve reconstruction of the Hurva, destroyed by the Jordanians following their occupation of the Jerusalem in 1948.
But the man who most impressed me was David Rabinovitch, an Israeli Russian, who contributed heavily to the renovation of the Hurva. Rubenstein spoke briefly, albeit in Russian, and announced that he and his partners, whose financial fortunes built the Hurva, would participate in rebuilding the nearby Tiferet Yisrael synagogue, also destroyed by the Arabs during the War
of Independence. These men, who grew up without any Jewish background, and who today barely speak Hebrew, are investing their life's fortunes in synagogues, in Jerusalem.
And you, Rahm and David, what are you investing your lives in?
Rahm, it is said that you are the cornerstone of your boss' policy towards Israeland the Middle East. Since this administration took office, you are quoted, time and time again, as forcing a ' two-state solution' on Israel. "Israel now faces a moment of truth - it can either acquiesce to international demands and in return have its most serious threats dealt with, or maintain the status quo and have those threats persist." http://goo.gl/ntPh In other words, Israel's future, as a state, and in large part, the continued existence of the Jewish people, is dependent on Israel 'towing the line,' obeying US policy, and acquiescing to US-Arab terrorist demands.
And David, just a few days ago you publicly turned Israel over your knee and paddled her, saying, "What happened there was an affront,…It was an insult. ... This was not the right way to behave." http://goo.gl/fana This, of course, in reference to the announcement that Israel will continue to build in Jerusalem.
Is this the behavior of two good Jewish boys, who, it is said, love Israel?
Rahm, truthfully it's very difficult to understand your actions. You belong to an orthodox synagogue in Chicago. You grew up in a Jewish home, with a strong affinity to Israel. Your father was born in Jerusalem and your uncle, for whom you were named, was killed by Arabs in Jerusalem. But you still support a position forbidding Jewish building in Jerusalem!?
And David, you too are no stranger to Judaism. Born on the Lower East Side in New York, you always knew you were Jewish. Yet you see fit to push your own people into security situations which jeopardize the continued existence of the Jewish State.
How is it that two men whose lives have always been saturated with Judaism do not comprehend simple truths understood by others who grew up in Soviet Russia, knowing almost nothing about their Jewish roots.? Even your names reflect your Jewish souls: David - dating back to King David - the eternal
King of Israel; and Rahm - meaning 'high,' hinting at the Creator, and in your case, a form of the word Rachamim, meaning mercy. Upon who do you have mercy, Mr. Emanuel? Perhaps both of you should repudiate your names, changing them, as did Hellenistic Jews in Israel during the time of Greek occupation of Israel. How can you carry such " Jewish names' yet, at the same
time, assist in pushing your people to the brink?
I have one other question for both of you men. Tonight marks the first day of the new month of Nisan, the month of Geula, of redemption from Egypt. In exactly two weeks we will begin the Passover holiday, commencing with the Seder, the first Pesach meal, when we relate the story of the Jews' Exodus from Egypt.
It is said that last year, both of you were invited to the President's
Passover Seder, but skipped it, preferring to eat Matza with your families, at home. Very touching. But why?
What I really want to know is not how you begin your family Seder, rather, how you end it. Normally, Jews finish the night's ceremony declaring " Next year in Jerusalem" or Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem."
Rahm Emanual and David Axelrod:
DO YOU RECITE THESE WORDS AT YOUR FAMILY TABLE;
IF SO, DO YOU MEAN WHAT YOU SAY, OR JUST REPEAT THE WORDS FOR CUSTOM'S SAKE;
AND WOULD YOU DARE RECITE THESE WORDS IN PUBLIC, WORDS MOUTHED BY JEWS FOR CENTURIES, AS THEY WERE TORTURED AND BURNED AT THE STAKE, OR SENT TO SIBERIA TO DIE, FOR DARING TO REPEAT THE FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE?
EXACTLY HOW DO YOU SAY IT? NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM,
OR
NEXT YEAR IN [OCCUPIED?], [DISPUTED?], [CONQUERED?], [ARAB?] JERUSALEM?
Isn't it time you left the White House and came home to your real home, in Israel, in Jerusalem where you too can stand proudly at the Kotel and recite, as Jews have for eternity "Next year in [Jewish] Jerusalem".
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My Israel curriculum
Questions, website, blog, videos below
1.Why did the Palestinians not accept the UN vote to partiton Palestine into Jewish and Arab state 60 years ago? There could have been a Palestinian State for 60 years?
2. Why do the Palestinians raise their kids to commit suicide by killing innocent Israeli civilians?
3. Why do they teach Jew hatred in primary grades and that all of Israel is occupied territory?
4. Why are their summer camps terrorist training camps?
5. Why do they send missiles to try to blow up schools in Israel daily?
6.Why do they try and run guns from ambulances?
7. Why did Jordan not set up a Palestinian state from 1948-1967 when they controlled the West Bank?
8. Show me one source about an Arab Palestinian people in history prior to 1930? Palestine was the name the Romans gave the area and Palestinians were Jews.
9. Israeli Prime Minister Barak told Arafat he could take 98% of the West Bank and Gaza and Arafat walked out and started infada 2.
10. Israel is on record willing to create a Palestinian state but not to peeople who won't accept her existence and openly say they want to destroy her.
11. Why are there no churches in Saudi Arabia?
12. Why do Muslim societies tolerate honor killings where fathers and brothers can murder their daughters and sisters for dating?
13. Why can UN member, the dictator of Iran openly call for the destruction of a UN state, Israel and not be expelled?
14. Why does the world sit by and watch and do nothing while the Iranian leadership talk about how Israel will be destroyed?
15. Jordan is 2/3rds of ancient Palestine. It is 75% Palestinian population. Why do they need 2 Palestinian states?
16. In what way is Israel the most successful nation in the world today despite all the above challenges?
What is Israel to do?
Basic Information website
www.forisrael.info
and blog
www.israelgreatest.blogspot.com
Videos Curriculum
Basic Info
Israel's 59th birthday Happy birthday JewU 75
Israel: the greatest country JewU 32
The Israel Test Gilder A Must read Jewu 529
Israel songs Jewish songs #7 Jewu 417 Rabbi Jonathan Gins
Disconnecting Jews from Israel via Khazars Jewu 521
Pro Israel Action
AIPAC Crucial for America and the World JewU 81
Responding to those protesting Israel Jewu 522
What can we personally do to help Israel JewU 78
Bond to Israel with Israel Bonds JewU 266
Has the American Rabbinate abandoned Israel? JewU 515
Travel with us to Israel JewU 138
J Street exposed- new "pro" Israel group? Jewu 517
Leftist bizarre anti_Israel views Jewu 495
My report from the AIPAC proIsrael conference Jewu 418 R
Israel and Palestinians
Apartheid week? Promote Arab terrorism week Jewu 535
Palestinian refugees "return" wrong JewU 86
Israel settlements obstacles to peace? Jewu 498
Palestine/Israel peace challenge Rabbi Jonathan Ginsbur
Gaza Hamas trying to kill Jews Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
Gaza Aftermath Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg Jewu 476
Mearsheimer/Walt -shoddy and anti-semitic? JewU 239
Refuting Kristof's March 17 NYT piece on Israel JewU 25
Zionism-The Jewish people's right to Israel JewU 243
It's Not Israel's Fault JewU 19
What's Wrong with Jimmy Carter's Book? JewU 97
Shameful British Boycott JewU 99
40 seconds for al jazeera on Hamas Terrorist killed
US Israel relations
Disgusting Obama administration tilt to murderers Jewu
Obama's Cairo speech good and bad Rabbi Jonathan Ginsbu
Jerusalem
Times shows bias against Jewish tie to Jerusalem jewu
Catholic Israel relations
Pope's disappointing visit to Israel Jewu 489
Catholic Jewish relations reversing? Rabbi jonathan G
UN -Israel
UN Goldstone report on Gaza predictably biased vs Isra
Conversion
Stop this knesset bill from hurting converts Jewu 534
Rotem Knesset bill on conversion update Jewu 538
Rabbinate hurts Israel by thwarting converts aliyah jewu
1.Why did the Palestinians not accept the UN vote to partiton Palestine into Jewish and Arab state 60 years ago? There could have been a Palestinian State for 60 years?
2. Why do the Palestinians raise their kids to commit suicide by killing innocent Israeli civilians?
3. Why do they teach Jew hatred in primary grades and that all of Israel is occupied territory?
4. Why are their summer camps terrorist training camps?
5. Why do they send missiles to try to blow up schools in Israel daily?
6.Why do they try and run guns from ambulances?
7. Why did Jordan not set up a Palestinian state from 1948-1967 when they controlled the West Bank?
8. Show me one source about an Arab Palestinian people in history prior to 1930? Palestine was the name the Romans gave the area and Palestinians were Jews.
9. Israeli Prime Minister Barak told Arafat he could take 98% of the West Bank and Gaza and Arafat walked out and started infada 2.
10. Israel is on record willing to create a Palestinian state but not to peeople who won't accept her existence and openly say they want to destroy her.
11. Why are there no churches in Saudi Arabia?
12. Why do Muslim societies tolerate honor killings where fathers and brothers can murder their daughters and sisters for dating?
13. Why can UN member, the dictator of Iran openly call for the destruction of a UN state, Israel and not be expelled?
14. Why does the world sit by and watch and do nothing while the Iranian leadership talk about how Israel will be destroyed?
15. Jordan is 2/3rds of ancient Palestine. It is 75% Palestinian population. Why do they need 2 Palestinian states?
16. In what way is Israel the most successful nation in the world today despite all the above challenges?
What is Israel to do?
Basic Information website
www.forisrael.info
and blog
www.israelgreatest.blogspot.com
Videos Curriculum
Basic Info
Israel's 59th birthday Happy birthday JewU 75
Israel: the greatest country JewU 32
The Israel Test Gilder A Must read Jewu 529
Israel songs Jewish songs #7 Jewu 417 Rabbi Jonathan Gins
Disconnecting Jews from Israel via Khazars Jewu 521
Pro Israel Action
AIPAC Crucial for America and the World JewU 81
Responding to those protesting Israel Jewu 522
What can we personally do to help Israel JewU 78
Bond to Israel with Israel Bonds JewU 266
Has the American Rabbinate abandoned Israel? JewU 515
Travel with us to Israel JewU 138
J Street exposed- new "pro" Israel group? Jewu 517
Leftist bizarre anti_Israel views Jewu 495
My report from the AIPAC proIsrael conference Jewu 418 R
Israel and Palestinians
Apartheid week? Promote Arab terrorism week Jewu 535
Palestinian refugees "return" wrong JewU 86
Israel settlements obstacles to peace? Jewu 498
Palestine/Israel peace challenge Rabbi Jonathan Ginsbur
Gaza Hamas trying to kill Jews Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
Gaza Aftermath Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg Jewu 476
Mearsheimer/Walt -shoddy and anti-semitic? JewU 239
Refuting Kristof's March 17 NYT piece on Israel JewU 25
Zionism-The Jewish people's right to Israel JewU 243
It's Not Israel's Fault JewU 19
What's Wrong with Jimmy Carter's Book? JewU 97
Shameful British Boycott JewU 99
40 seconds for al jazeera on Hamas Terrorist killed
US Israel relations
Disgusting Obama administration tilt to murderers Jewu
Obama's Cairo speech good and bad Rabbi Jonathan Ginsbu
Jerusalem
Times shows bias against Jewish tie to Jerusalem jewu
Catholic Israel relations
Pope's disappointing visit to Israel Jewu 489
Catholic Jewish relations reversing? Rabbi jonathan G
UN -Israel
UN Goldstone report on Gaza predictably biased vs Isra
Conversion
Stop this knesset bill from hurting converts Jewu 534
Rotem Knesset bill on conversion update Jewu 538
Rabbinate hurts Israel by thwarting converts aliyah jewu
Treating Israel horribly
Ramat Shlomo and Obama's Latest Snit?
The Jerusalem municipal planning commission announced the approval of a plan, and the American administration went ballistic.
Tom Friedman, the New York Times columnist who writes what Americans like to read, regardless of the merit of his analysis, suggested that Vice President Biden should have gone straight to the airport. Apparently Mr Friedman thinks international diplomacy should be handled the way teenagers react to being told they can't have the car.
It strikes me that, viewed a little more objectively than from the pages of the New York Times, the incident might be appraised differently.
First, Let's bear in mind that the decision to build in Ramat Shlomo is not a deviation from Israel's express policy, a policy of which the Obama administration is well aware, and that Secretary of State Clinton recently praised as an unprecedented step toward advancing the peace process. And let us not forget that Ramat Shlomo is a Jewish neighborhood in a Jewish area of Jerusalem.
So, a municipal planning commission made an announcement that it had approved a plan that is entirely in keeping with declared government policy -- a policy which the US administration has praised, but of which it does not entirely approve due to its traditional refusal to accept Israeli sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem (in defiance of Congress). This happens when the Vice President is in town.
This can be seen as a little embarrassing, since it might have put Mr Biden in a slightly awkward position, but it was clearly not an orchestrated attempt to insult. Surely it was not like, say, inviting the Dalai Lama to the White House, which President Obama clearly did with wilful premeditation, intending to smack the Chinese in the teeth, knowing full well that no previous President had extended such an invitation.
It wasn't even as embarrassing or as nasty as say a Congressional committee declaring that a NATO ally -- Turkey -- committed genocide, after Turkey made it clear to the President that such a declaration might prompt a break in diplomatic relations.
This was just a case comparable to Ehud Barak being told by the TSA to take his shoes off at Dulles International Airport, or Shaul Mofaz being told he couldn't have a visa to the US because he was born in Iran. A little embarrassing. maybe a little dumb, and to be treated accordingly.
So, how did the US react to the discovery that the Prime Minister doesn't have absolute control over municipal planning commissions?
The Vice President showed up an hour late to a state dinner with Israel's Prime Minister -- a petulant, childish act intended solely as a personal insult to the PM. The protocol in such cases is, I believe, to tell the guest: "I'm sorry, you are late. The PM is no longer available. He has a tight schedule..." That is probably how Mr Biden would have been treated by any other PM of any other country. But Mr Netanyahu decided to overlook the insult.
But rest assured, Mr Biden would never have even considered showing up two seconds late to dinner with the PM of England, Canada, France, Russia or even Fiji.
Then, Mrs Clinton called PM Netanyahu to upbraid him. Again, as a matter of proper protocol, Mr Netanyahu should probably have told Mrs Clinton that if the President wished to speak with him, he had the phone number, and then he should have hung up. The unelected advisors of the President have no business telling off the heads of foreign governments. If the President wishes to do so, he may. The Secretary of State can call in Israel's ambassador to Washington to express her displeasure. She even might go as far as calling the Foreign Minister to discuss a matter of concern with him, while showing the respect and deference due a minister of a foreign government, but she has no business calling the Prime Minister of Israel to speak her mind. Rest assured, she would not allow herself that liberty with the PM of any other country.
So, I think maybe the US administration has taken a little gaffe that should have been overlooked, and deliberately used it with a heavy hand to show that it really really isn't Israel's friend, that it holds Israel in utter contempt and does not owe its government the minimal respect it would show to any other state.
I truly hope that that was what was intended, because the alternative is that the foreign policy of the United States is currently in the hands of people who think that the best way to handle a diplomatic setback is to stomp up the stairs and slam the door.
Avinoam Sharon
The Jerusalem municipal planning commission announced the approval of a plan, and the American administration went ballistic.
Tom Friedman, the New York Times columnist who writes what Americans like to read, regardless of the merit of his analysis, suggested that Vice President Biden should have gone straight to the airport. Apparently Mr Friedman thinks international diplomacy should be handled the way teenagers react to being told they can't have the car.
It strikes me that, viewed a little more objectively than from the pages of the New York Times, the incident might be appraised differently.
First, Let's bear in mind that the decision to build in Ramat Shlomo is not a deviation from Israel's express policy, a policy of which the Obama administration is well aware, and that Secretary of State Clinton recently praised as an unprecedented step toward advancing the peace process. And let us not forget that Ramat Shlomo is a Jewish neighborhood in a Jewish area of Jerusalem.
So, a municipal planning commission made an announcement that it had approved a plan that is entirely in keeping with declared government policy -- a policy which the US administration has praised, but of which it does not entirely approve due to its traditional refusal to accept Israeli sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem (in defiance of Congress). This happens when the Vice President is in town.
This can be seen as a little embarrassing, since it might have put Mr Biden in a slightly awkward position, but it was clearly not an orchestrated attempt to insult. Surely it was not like, say, inviting the Dalai Lama to the White House, which President Obama clearly did with wilful premeditation, intending to smack the Chinese in the teeth, knowing full well that no previous President had extended such an invitation.
It wasn't even as embarrassing or as nasty as say a Congressional committee declaring that a NATO ally -- Turkey -- committed genocide, after Turkey made it clear to the President that such a declaration might prompt a break in diplomatic relations.
This was just a case comparable to Ehud Barak being told by the TSA to take his shoes off at Dulles International Airport, or Shaul Mofaz being told he couldn't have a visa to the US because he was born in Iran. A little embarrassing. maybe a little dumb, and to be treated accordingly.
So, how did the US react to the discovery that the Prime Minister doesn't have absolute control over municipal planning commissions?
The Vice President showed up an hour late to a state dinner with Israel's Prime Minister -- a petulant, childish act intended solely as a personal insult to the PM. The protocol in such cases is, I believe, to tell the guest: "I'm sorry, you are late. The PM is no longer available. He has a tight schedule..." That is probably how Mr Biden would have been treated by any other PM of any other country. But Mr Netanyahu decided to overlook the insult.
But rest assured, Mr Biden would never have even considered showing up two seconds late to dinner with the PM of England, Canada, France, Russia or even Fiji.
Then, Mrs Clinton called PM Netanyahu to upbraid him. Again, as a matter of proper protocol, Mr Netanyahu should probably have told Mrs Clinton that if the President wished to speak with him, he had the phone number, and then he should have hung up. The unelected advisors of the President have no business telling off the heads of foreign governments. If the President wishes to do so, he may. The Secretary of State can call in Israel's ambassador to Washington to express her displeasure. She even might go as far as calling the Foreign Minister to discuss a matter of concern with him, while showing the respect and deference due a minister of a foreign government, but she has no business calling the Prime Minister of Israel to speak her mind. Rest assured, she would not allow herself that liberty with the PM of any other country.
So, I think maybe the US administration has taken a little gaffe that should have been overlooked, and deliberately used it with a heavy hand to show that it really really isn't Israel's friend, that it holds Israel in utter contempt and does not owe its government the minimal respect it would show to any other state.
I truly hope that that was what was intended, because the alternative is that the foreign policy of the United States is currently in the hands of people who think that the best way to handle a diplomatic setback is to stomp up the stairs and slam the door.
Avinoam Sharon
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